Innocent Sin: Actress Again
by RubyContract
Summary: Reboot of IS: DBAG! Aisha lives a life of luxury and perfection in Asgard, but a chance encounter leads to a series of mysterious incidents and she finds her naive and sheltered view of the world shattered as she is forced to cope with betrayal, death, and her own feelings as her peril grows. Can she save those close to her? Or will it all die? ElsAi! Other pairings!
1. I: Asgard

_Innocent Sin: Actress Again_

_I: Asgard_

* * *

_Aisha_

* * *

The spacious corridor throbbed with the hum of conversation as I weaved my way through the chaotic sea of people at a harried pace. Sunlight streamed in from the outside via the cavernous windows, achingly bright, stabbing my tired eyes with daggers of light. "Urk…" Groaning, I rubbed my forehead as I took a step on the sweeping grand staircase, the heels of my white boots _clack_ing against the glistening marble.

"Dammit Ara…" I muttered under my breath, my mind fuzzy from lack of sleep. It was insane; how could she possibly do so well in school, look so incredible, and spark with a dynamic energy when she spent half of her nights up past one in the morning, swearing vehemently at the TV screen when a zombie popped out of a random hole in the wall and killed her character? All it took me was one of those marathon gaming sessions with her to put me out for a couple of days.

I fast walked down the hall, clutching my textbooks close to my chest. Visible through the window that practically made up the wall at the divide at the end of the hallway, was a sprawling sea of gleaming ivory and glittering glass spirals past the latticed glass and steel gates of the school, reaching out hopefully to the rainbow streaked heavens. A perfect utopia, and a place I was proud to call home. Living in Asgard was to be the strongest, the richest, and the most intelligent. It was a symbol that you were blessed, meant for something greater than the drudgery of Midgard and the darkness and waste of Niffleheim.

Stifling a yawn, I shifted my books around and entered the classroom to the right.

"There you are! Why are you so late? Did you get lost on the way up?" Ara- my friend, rushed towards me, her long ebon tresses flowing out from behind her as she slammed into me, sending us crashing into the door. "Oof!" I grunted as my head slammed into the door with a painful _thwam_!

"Geroff me!" Grumbling, I pushed Ara off me, liberally massaging my throbbing skull. She pushed herself off the ground, bristling as she straightened the gold and silver hairpin that nestled in the braided bun on the back of her head. "Rude…" she huffed, to which I just stuck my tongue out at her playfully as a response.

"Children… Children," a soothing but mildly monotonic voice droned. Craning my neck, I saw Eve Rainsworth- my other friend and one of the Royal Class Nasods and the heiress to one of the Noble Houses of Asgard. She looked ethereal as per norm in the snow-white uniform of Asgard Academy with her porcelain skin, and her alabaster tresses done up in an elaborately braided coiffure offset by a delicate platinum tiara.

"Ah, hello Eve," I greeted politely and stood up, dusting the dust off my pleated skirt. She dipped into a brief curtsy and motioned towards the teacher who was gathering papers together on her desk for today's lesson. "Let's take a seat," she stated and strolled over to her seat in the middle row with Ara and I in tow.

"Did you people here about the new Special Program student who is joining this class?" Eve inquired as I took a seat in one of the velvet-lined chairs. Unsurprisingly, Ara grimaced, forming a distasteful expression. "Uh… Really? That sucks, they're so annoying. Hanging all over the place and acting so arrogant, trying to be all cool and blend in with us, the real deal. I get the burning desire to throttle one of them and scream in their faces that they will never be one of us and that they should just stay in Midgard where they are supposed to be."

"But then all that wasted talent. If we could hone it into something resembling civility, then is it not worth just a little aggravation? After all, it's our job to show them the way to act and to educate them, lest their gifts would collect dust or worse, be used against us in some paltry rebellion that would shed unnecessary blood." Eve smiled thinly as she clasped her hands together, cool, calm, and elegant.

I sucked in my cheeks, rolling my eyes as I did so. "Ok, you make a good point there Eve, but still… Why our school? Start up a separate academy with some tutors or people who are crazy enough to mingle with them in order to get them to attempt to act classy. Obviously, black uniforms aren't enough to remind them that they're not us, Take Raven for example, hanging out with Rena Tyrell and getting all cozy with her, completely disregarding the unwritten rules here. You don't associate with someone that's a higher class than you unless you want trouble."

Ara snorted, her nostrils flaring. "Rena probably enjoys it. She's a whore and she looks like one too. No guy with class is going to go after _that_. That's why she's left scraping the bottom of the social barrel."

"She's still a Tyrell"- I argued- "One of the five Noble Families of Asgard, even if she is a ho. I'm sure despite having the cleavage of a prostitute from Mid"-

"No, Niffleheim," Ara interjected, cutting off my retort with a laugh. "Rumor has it that their whores don't even wear outer garments."

"Have you ever been to Niffleheim, Ara?" Eve queried, tilting her head to the side. Ara shot eye daggers at Eve, baring her teeth into a beastly scowl. "And why does it concern you?" she snarled. Eve shrugged and crossed her legs. "You may be my friend Ara, but I hate it when people act ignorant. Even if it is about trash. After all, learning about the trash can's contents may prove invaluable," she replied drily. Ara's scowl deepened, "Why you"-

"Attention class!" Our magical theory teacher- Noah, barked, her ice blue eyes sparkling like the frost on a steel pole in Midgard's winter. Seeing the flinty look in her eyes, the murmuring of the class subsided, earning a curt nod from the teacher. "Now, as you may know of already, we have a Special Program student joining us today for the rest of the year."

A chorus of groans broke out from the class. "Silence," Noah snapped, folding her arms. "You are to set a model example for this student and show him how he is supposed to act. Teach him if you may, ignore him, I don't care but don't give him reason to criticize us once he goes back to Midgard for the summer."

"They're going to complain anyways…" Ara griped in an undertone, narrowing her amber eyes into little slits. I frowned and buried my head in my hands. Just my luck…

"Els Hwajae, you may come in now," Noah declared, gesturing at the door. The hinges whined as the door swung open, and a young male around my age entered the classroom. He was clad in the Special Program black version of the school uniform and had sharp crimson eyes that sparkled with a rakish light; his natty scarlet locks were artfully tousled, lazily covering his right eye.

"Hwajae, what kind of name is that?" Ara whispered, sniggering unpleasantly. Eve smirked, leaning back ever-so-slightly. "Why I don't know the exact meaning, but it's in the language that the Haans- your family originally spoke before the collapse of Elrios three hundred years ago I bet. It certainly doesn't sound Latin, Gaelic, or Nipponese."

Ara blazed more brilliantly than Els's hair. "Shut up!" she spat angrily.

"Girls, did you hear anything I said?" Noah scolded, placing a hand on her hip. A green vein pulsed in Ara's neck as her face turned beet-purple, but she kept her mouth shut and slid down in her chair until only her eggplant shaded forehead was visible. "I apologize for that Els. That is a perfect example of how _not _to act in our class," Noah pressed her lips into a thin line, giving Ara a look that screamed "_I'm so talking to you after class missy_". Els nodded, his thin side tails swaying forward as he dipped his head. "Ok, now where do I sit?" he questioned, the corners of his lips curled faintly upwards in a barely visible smirk.

_Arrogant ass, you better drop that smirk_… I mentally screamed at him, his casual air and confidence grating on me. Sure, he was cute and if he wasn't some lowly commoner from Midgard, I might've gone for him, but since he was from Midgard, well… Just looking at that simpering grin on his face made me want to rake his face with my fingernails, except he wasn't worth ruining my nails over.

Noah pointed towards the seat directly behind me, much to my chagrin.

_Lovely_, I bit my bottom lip, unable to keep the sour expression off my face. Ara gave me a kind look and Eve clucked her tongue sympathetically upon seeing my chafed face. Els leaned forward, lightly tapping me on the shoulder. "Hello"-

"Don't talk to me," I snapped at Els, suppressing the urge to strangle him for touching me so easily. He sighed and slumped back in his chair, not even having the decency to look shamefaced. Steaming, my face flushing red, I diverted my gaze back to the front of the class to Noah who was writing instructions on the flickering, holographic screen that hovered in the front of the room.

"Now class, would you please open your books and turn to page two hundred and thirty."

* * *

Storming out of class once the period had ended, I was fuming so much that it was a miracle that there was no steam pouring out of my ears. "Wow… You mad?" Ara snickered, effortlessly keeping up with my breakneck walking pace. "Of course," I shot back, livid heat prickling my face. I could still feel Els's hand tapping my shoulder and it bugged me. I felt violated. How dare he touch me so casually!

"Now, now… There's no need to be so unpleasant, at least he still has both arms and a sweet face unlike Raven." Eve drawled airily. I whipped around to face her, my wavy lavender pigtails flaring violently outwards. "Did you see?!" I thundered, "He _touched _me! Just like that!" She sighed, shaking her head exasperatedly. "Yes, it was an impudent gesture on his part, but I'm sure he won't do it again given your reaction."

I sucked in my breath, forcing myself to count slowly to ten before daring to speak. "If you think that, then you obviously didn't see his face, he didn't even attempt to look sorry." Eve grimaced, "Some people are just better at hiding their emotions than you." Hissing, my nails dug into the palm of my hands, causing me to wince from the pain. "Like you?" I snarled acidly. She furrowed her brow, more than likely angry from her tense posture but still keeping that blasted poker face of hers. Why did she always have to be Miss reasonable? Why couldn't she just nod her head in understanding and pat me on the back like Ara?

"Well, I feel for you," Ara clapped my shoulder. "Still, just punch his lights out next time he tries to do that. If you're afraid of getting in trouble, then call me. I'll dangle him out the window by his ankles." Eve snorted, "You'll get in so much trouble and Aren will throw a fit."

Ara smiled humorlessly, rolling her eyes dismissively. "Eh, my brother is a self-righteous and stuffy prick and trouble is nothing. It's not like they'll kick me out. I'm a Haan after all! My name is worth even more than yours, Eve _Rainsworth_."

I beamed, embracing Ara in a bear hug. "Thank you!" I cried, "You're a true friend!" She grinned and ruffled the top of my head, mussing up my bangs but I didn't mind. Eve huffed and folded her arms, her bottom lip jutting out in a pout.

"Then what am I?" she directed the query at me. "Chopped liver?" Ara giggled and waved her hand giddily, "You're the token smart friend that allows us to copy your homework." An amused smile flashed across Eve's face, disappearing as quickly as it came. "Perhaps I should stop doing that then?" Ara pouted, feigning indignation. "If you do that, then you'll really just be chopped liver," she jested. I laughed, placing a hand on my moonstone pendant and looked outside the window, gazing down at the emerald expanse below us- the school grounds, studded with ruby roses, sapphire hydrangeas, topaz daffodils, and a whole slew of other vivid, gem-like flowers I could not name.

"Come on guys, let's get lunch," I stated, feeling a great deal more serene.

* * *

**RC: Aaand cut! What do you think of the reboot of Innocent Sin? :D You can probably already name a few changes right off! Starting with Ara's class! :3 Also, the Shinigami incident prevalent within the first version of IS: DBAG is going to be handled differently, so even people who have saved the old IS: DBAG as a document or PDF (I know you people are out there) could be surprised at some things and have something to keep you around! :D**

**Eve: I find it unfair how my story- Sheol Gate is only like 1k words at a time including chats, but this is 2k without the chats! D:**

**RC: This was the story that I became famous on. ElsEve is master pairing but I won't do this story injustice!**

**Ara: *Sobbing in the emo corner***

**Chung: *Steeling his body as tears fall down from his eyes***

**Elesis: D:**

**Aren: *Sighing***

**Eve: .-. **

**RC: I think a reboot is what this story needed, so much more class and maturity in the writing, no? Could almost be pro… not really… O3O But I will warn you, some character personalities will be altered a little bit, Addition will be in here, and we will occasionally glimpse a POV outside of Aisha's just to give the story some more depth. Also, the first arc up until THAT moment-**

**Chung: TTATT**

**RC: -Is going to be different… We get to see more character interactions between Rena, Raven, Elsword, Aisha, Ara, Eve, Chung, Addition, and Aren. So they'll feel more fleshed out. **

**Aisha: Doesn't feel too bad… but I sense something horrific behind your seemingly benevolent exterior.**

**RC: I already made you bitchier in this reboot, isn't that sinister enough? **

**Aisha: :L No, that's just typical RC.**

**RC: Fair point… this version is also going to be a little bloodier and more disturbing than the last…**

**Aisha: I KNEW IT!**

**Everyone else: QAQ**

**RC: Welp, remember to R&R if you love this reboot and hyped about IS's return (Yes, I did change the title, previous initials were… awkward to say the least… and I think "Actress Again" is fairly accurate… Also, yes… this is a reference to Melty Blood… And there is going to GoT references up the ying-yang) Ja Nee! *Flies out the window***


	2. II: Her Loyalty

Innocent Sin: Actress Again

II: Her Loyalty

* * *

_Aisha_

* * *

The Alchemy classroom was sweltering. Streamers of cobalt-tinged smoke spiraled from the cast-iron cauldrons which hung over the crackling flames. A gentle breeze from outside wafted into the room, but did little to alleviate our suffering as we stirred the mana potions we were supposed to brewing for today's lesson. Just a simple procedure, nothing too fancy unlike crafting a Rachel's Grace which I could only imagine the horror from the grisly tales I heard from the senior students. Even on a simple level, Alchemy was still no less miserable though.

"Urk…" Ara moaned, glowering irately at her concoction which despite her best efforts remained a chalky aquamarine color that was the consistency of sludge. Biting my bottom lip, I hastily shot my gaze around the room, gauging the progress of my classmates. Rena Tyrell- a pretty blonde-haired elf with olive eyes and a big bust which always seemed to pop a few shirt buttons was doing fairly well. Her potion was a little off-color, but at least it wasn't spitting sparks unlike poor Subtractia Targaryen's. Being the sister of Add Targaryen, she was expected to be a whiz at technical procedures such as this, but she was more interested in design and literature than she was in Nasodian Tech and Mathematical Theory, which was a stark contrast to her brother, who devoured such things greedily like I went through a box of chocolate truffles stuffed with rich raspberry cream. Even now, her pale face was flushed and her round glasses were fogged with steam as she feverishly batted at the potion, succeeding in only making it discharge more sparks.

I glanced over at Eve and Chung Seiker- an attractive and mild-mannered boy with spiky russet-tipped blonde hair and wide cerulean eyes. They were easily doing the best. Both of their brews were flawless right down to the exact hue of cobalt and the honey-like consistency that standard mana potions were supposed to be. Feeling inadequate, I dropped my gaze down to my own cauldron. The potion was too dark of a blue and had the consistency of water, which would never do in Grail's eyes. He was a prickly perfectionist who got severely agitated if you made fun of him because he looks like a dog (long story by the way).

"Stupid, stupid, _stupid _thing!" Ara swore zealously, practically stabbing the cauldron with stunning force, knocking it off the burner and spilling it all over the floor. _Hiss…_ The mixture whispered sibilantly, oozing into the crevices in the granite floor. The smell of burning stone permeated the room, making my eyes water.

"Miss Haan!" Grail barked, his black eyes flashing dangerously as he bared his canines in a beastly snarl. Ara rolled her eyes, cantering her hips sassily as she folded her arms. "Yeah?" she drawled in a bored tenor. Our Alchemy teacher stormed over to her, gesturing wildly at the steaming mess on the floor. "Look at the mess you created!" his hands juddered, struggling against his rage. "Didn't I tell you only a little bit of ground moon El? Can't you get it through your thick head that you were supposed to add only a tinge of death shade?"

Ara pursed her lips, gazing casually at the mess on the floor, looking unperturbed despite the fact that the rest of us were gagging from the noxious vapors. Even Eve looked as if she were about to hurl, which was extremely hard to do since the only poisons that Nasods were weak against were Alterasian Spores.

"I don't see anything wrong," she sassed drily. Grail puffed up, his dog ears perking upwards and his hair standing on end. "You!" he made a violent motion with his hands. "Grail!" Subtractia yelped, stunned, blissfully unaware that the ends of her low-hanging, braided pigtails were smoldering rather precariously. There was a brief moment of silence. Slowly, Grail calmed down, heaving deep, controlled breaths. He turned to Subtractia, his expression resuming his normal dispassion and he pointed at her.

"The ends of your pigtails are about to spontaneously combust, I suggest you run them under water before you catch on fire," he remarked flatly, sauntering over to his desk and taking a deep quaff from his oversized ceramic coffee mug. Subtractia nodded, "Tha- Wait… _What?!_" she screamed and hurtled over to the sink at lightning speed, ducking her head under the faucet. Grail rolled his eyes and trotted over to the row of windows that dotted the wall, opening two more to relieve the room of the miasma Ara created.

Ara sneered as we watched Subtractia douse her head in water with bemused expressions. "Poor girl…" Rena muttered faintly, clasping a hand over her heart. With her gargantuan melons, it looked more as if she were groping herself. "What a dork," Ara jeered, flipping her hair with one fluid motion as she sauntered over to where Eve, Chung, and I were standing.

"That's not very nice…" Chung trailed, the cat-ear tufts that were in his hair pricking upwards slightly. Eve pressed her lips so thin, they seemed to disappear from her face. "She certainly does not have her brother's gift for these sorts of thing does she?" she mused airily. Ara's smirk was complacent, looking as if she had scored an "A" not an "F" and more than likely, detention, knowing Grail. "Honestly, she looks as pathetic as those commoners from Midgard. What's with those geeky glasses anyway? I'm going to go and ask Add if she was adopted."

Eve sighed, tucking a loose ribbon of silver hair behind her ear. "You already asked him that, and he confirmed that she is his blood relative," she stated in a bored tone. I sighed noisily, feeling ignored. "That may be true, but at times, it can be hard to believe no matter what Add says," I averred firmly and brushed the tears that watered the corners of my eyes. "Ara nodded her head in acquiescence tilting her head to the side and patting me on my shoulder. "This girl gets it," she smiled wickedly at me, "Especially since Add is pretty much the only guy in this entire school with the whole package: brains, looks, a wicked sense of humor, balls, and most importantly, he's from our level… My level more like it… He's from one of the Five Noble families." Her expression was dreamy as she gushed about Add, making the corners of my lip twitch upwards.

Personally, I didn't care for Targaryen. Subtractia was a dork, but at least she didn't have such a condescending aura and her brother's insufferable "know it all" attitude. To each her own I guess.

"So what does that mean Miss Haan? Am I not a qualified and worthy man?" Chung queried, feigning an affronted air. Ara snickered, placing her hand in front of her mouth. "You're just fine Chung, but honestly, you appeal more to the Shotacons here like Eve." Eve's porcelain cheeks rouged themselves with a rosy hue. "Wh-what is that supposed to mean?" she stammered, looking put out. Ara flipped her hair and wrapped her arm around Eve's shoulder, drawing her closer. "You like… hmm… let's say… _younger-looking _men."

Eve's jaw dropped, making me giggle. "When you put it like that Ara, it sounds creepy," I retorted airily fiddling with my fuchsia hairclip. Her amber eyes glinted with an impish light. "Hue… We all have our own tastes in men. I'm not going to judge."

Eve snorted, opening her mouth to make a retort.

"Miss Haan! Come over here, _now_ and mop up your mess!" Grail yipped from the other side of the room, cutting Eve off before she could speak. Ara released a disparaging groan and threw her hands up in the air, glaring acerbically at the Alchemy teacher. Eve watched her sullen retreating form with a certain amount of self-satisfaction. "I suppose it's detention for her," she cupped her chin with her hands. I sighed, rubbing my forehead, my head pounding from the vapors of Ara's mana potion.

"Ah, but I have a lot of homework and now I have no one to do it with," I mumbled, my bottom lip jutting outwards. Eve crinkled her brow, placing a hand lightly on her forehead. "What about me? I am feeling rather neglected." I rolled my eyes, my smile humorless as I started to put my Alchemy supplies back in the desk cupboard in a haphazard fashion. "You actually make me do work. With Ara, we just have fun banging our heads together until you take pity on us and give us the answers." Eve rubbed at her temples, smiling ruefully. "Perhaps I should stop being so generous so that way maybe you two would actually do some work."

I gaped incredulously at her. "Do you want us to fail?" I whined, crossing my arms as I put on a churlish expression. She smiled thinly at me, "I desire for you two to express some interest in your future. Do you want to get de-ranked for lack of work?"

A chill went down my spine. De-ranking, one of the worst possible things that could happen to a family from Asgard. Life as you knew it would end.

"Now, now Eve, that's a little extreme," Chung bit his bottom lip, gingerly tapping Eve on the shoulder. Eve exhaled deeply, her eyelids fluttering. "It is the truth, if she continues down the path of lazy, reckless, self-indulgence alongside Ara. She will be booted from Asgard for 'being a bad influence on an esteemed member of the Haan family'." Her nostrils flared, "Even though we know it is the opposite way around."

Chung grimaced while I bristled. "What do you mean by that?" I snapped, gathering my textbooks. Eve deadpanned, folding her hands together. "She keeps you up at all strange hours of the night, she flaunts her name, and she rarely does her work."

I blazed, absolutely livid at hearing her criticize Ara. She was an incredible person who gave me- a nobody mage from a minor family the time of day and made me known and respected throughout the school. She gave me opportunities. It was because of Ara that I even knew Eve. And here Eve goes criticizing her? The nerve!

"You're just mad because she beat you out for the spot of class president," I snapped tartly, angrily shoving my books into my already-overstuffed tote bag. Eve stiffened, her face becoming dangerously neutral. "You know full well as I do Miss Kaname that she only got the presidency because her last name was Haan, unlike her brother who is a Haan, but still had to work for it," she rebuked in a level intonation.

I frowned, muttering fervid curses under my breath as my Arithmetic textbook obstinately refused to fit inside my bag. "Aren only had to work for it because nobody likes him. He's too serious and does not bother socializing with anyone. He's a busy-body who's always criticizing Ara for trivial things," I snarled, taking a crumbled wad of papers and flinging them over my shoulder.

"Your view of people is disgustingly narrow."

"Why don't you just fuck off?" I cried, finally losing it. Furious, I whipped around to face Eve, my face flushing until it was a uniform shade of puce. "You're just jealous of Ara, you're jealous because she's pretty and witty, and people like her! The only one here who likes you is Chung!" I jabbed a zealous finger at the now-annoyed Chung. "Keep it up and at this rate, you'll be scraping the bottom of the barrel like Rena!" I screamed.

Awkward silence descended upon the room.

"…" Eve narrowed her eyes, the golden coins flickering to an acidic yellow. "Whooo…" Ara whistled, impressed. "Miss Kaname… That was unnecessarily mean." Chung snipped, sticking his nose up in the air. I blazed, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes.

"Damn all of you!" I screeched and hurled my open tote bag across the room, slamming into the labyrinth of glass beakers and vials, and foggy test tubes on Grail's desk, shattering them into a million pieces. "Miss Aisha Kaname!" Grail howled, hopping around as his other class demos flowed out from the shattered glass, staining the floor a sickly rainbow of dull colors.

"You're horrible! All of you!" I wailed, stamping my feet on the ground. "Hey!" Ara yelped, shooting upright from her hunched position. "You excluded," I sniffled with a weak smile. Ara relaxed, her shoulders drooping.

"But the rest of you can just leave me the hell alone!" I hollered, turning my anger back to the rest of the room and ran outside the class, leaving behind a dumbfounded crowd.

* * *

**RC: Aaand cut! Sorry for lazy uninspired chapter… but I have a lot going on at home around… Someone close to me is missing and I'm worried about her…. I'm also suffering from the fact Driver's ED is soon-to-come, my internship with Quicken Loans has expired and they've replaced me with a blonde, texting, cheerleader (Even though I can actually use powerpoint and she can't Q.Q) and my exhaustive quest to do promos for free kching so I can get a b-slot on my Elesis, soon to be Saber Knight… DAMMIT! I have been converted to the sexy back!**

**Eve: I have mixed reactions to this… but I will say… Would sorry be appropriate?**

**RC: *QQing her eyes out* Yup…**

**Aisha: I'm upset about my weak character here… Why do I kiss up to Ara's rear end?**

**RC: Fool… Ara is master race alongside Eve and Elesis.**

**Aisha: You hate me, don't you?**

**RC: VP is ok, DW is too-girly and mahout shoujo (Go back to Puella Magi Madoka Magica dammit) and EM is A OK until you get to PvP, then it's all-out war. **

**Rena: What about me?**

**RC: Fanservice and soul mate to Raven :3**

**Rena: ;w; I can live with that. **

**Ara: I know you have awful plans for me, but I am sorry about your missing person. For the sake of privacy and preventing this from becoming a HUGE affair, I won't say who… but I will say. I know your pain.**

**RC: *Gives Ara hug* I'm sorry for judging you before you became playable. You're an angel!**

**Ara: So you'll spare me?**

**RC: No.**

**Ara: *QQing in the emo corner***

**Eve: I can't believe how much longer this chapter is in comparison to my story's chapters!**

**RC: It's Innocent Sin, plus looking at this chapter makes me want to kill myself. I want to establish Aisha as a weak, ineffectual character at first so that's what I'm doing. But I can't help shake the feeling it's detracting from the story. Oh well… You still get some RC fan service by the end of next chapter though… **

**Aren: Your fan service does not correlate to the normal definition of "fan service"**

**RC: Exactly**

**Addition: I would- *Cut off by RC***

**RC: Remember to R&R for moral support! I thank all chu guys! Ja Nee! *Flies out the window* **


	3. III: After Class

Innocent Sin: Actress Again

III: After Class

* * *

_Aisha_

* * *

The hallway was mercifully clear, save for a few skippers as I leaned against the wall, my eyes feeling red and swollen. Sniffling, I rubbed them, my cheeks prickling with a flushed heat as some random straggler sneered at me, pointing me out to her posse of makeup-caked friends. I glared at her clown-like face with all the ferocity I had,_ Oh look it! It's another whore skipping out on class! _I wanted to say, but I could not find my voice. I mean, technically I was skipping too, but I had attended class for all but the last fifteen or so minutes, so it still counted, right?

"Hey, are you ok?"

I cringed as I identified the voice, a displeased shiver running up my spine. _Oh El, is it really that loser? _I narrowed my eyes, directing my gaze to the right. Sure enough, Els Hwajae was standing right beside me, his crimson eyes wide with concern. "Urk, you…" I grumbled, folding my arms as I shot daggers at him. He smiled abashedly at me and flexed his shoulders with a nonchalant air. "Yup, me," he chuckled, leaning his lithe frame against the wall, the sunlight streaming in through the windows setting his hair ablaze.

"What do _you _want?" I snapped with all the scorn I could muster. Elsword's eyes went wide and he tilted his head to the side, assuming an expression of innocence. "Oh my El, from your tone you make it seem like I have some sinister ulterior motive," he laughed airily, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. My blood boiled and my hand twitched as every nerve in my body called out for me to grab his hand and break it. "Do you?" I growled, taking a step backwards. Oh why do I have to breathe the same air as him?

He smirked, shaking his head. "Do you think that poorly of me? No, I just couldn't stand to see a girl cry," he replied sincerely. I snorted, flipping my hair. "You'll be the one crying if you don't leave me alone," I growled menacingly.

"Ah! What are you two doing out of class? You only have another five minutes," a well-known voice throughout the school addressed us. Elsword and I turned our heads to the source of the voice to find School President (Basically the person who runs the school right underneath the Director's Board) Aren Haan looking at us, his left eyebrow raised in a quizzical expression.

Aren Haan- he was the older brother of Ara with the distinctive ebon hair and orange-gold eyes of the Haan family, but nowhere near as well-liked as his younger sister. Quiet, calm, and mature, he was no fun. At all. He ran the school well, but he tended to be the biggest killjoy ever. I still remember the beginning of my first year here, when the first years had a huge party to celebrate the start of the school year at the end of the day, Aren went in and had it shut down, complaining that it was disturbing the people who were trying to study. Like really? It was the first day of school! What could there possibly be to study?

"Oh, I was heading over to the infirmary to get the nurse for Raven, you see, he accidentally sliced his non-Nasod hand wide open while enhancing the blade in Metal Working class. He's currently swearing at everything and bleeding a ridiculous amount. The teacher refuses to let him go because he's afraid that Raven's going to make a mess with his bloody hand. He'd have to wait until the end of class, after the teacher's lunch break to be personally escorted otherwise." Elsword explained, looking mildly annoyed.

Aren pursed his lips into a thin line, shifting the books he held in his arms, but otherwise he remained silent. "It's really stupid if you ask me, I bet you if it was some Asgard-borne student who was bleeding all over, they would be rushed to the ER with a dozen of their closest followers behind them, wailing at obnoxiously high volumes while praying that their friend will survive their 'mortal wound'." Elsword grumbled, shaking his head. Aren continued to be silent, staring intently at Elsword, his facial expression unusually hard to read.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Elsword furrowed his brow, walking over to the window and checking his reflection in it. Aren's eyes snapped open, as if awakening from a trance and he shook his head. "Ah, no, it's nothing really… It's just that the shade of your red hair and red eyes reminded me of a friend I had…" he sighed, laughing humorlessly at himself. "Oh El, I'm a mess… I'm still moping over her even though she's been gone and dead for a long time now."

Elsword stiffened, slowly craning his neck to stare at Aren with an interested expression. "What happened to her?" he queried softly, his facial expression subtly shifting and turning… darker… for lack of a better word. Aren frowned, rubbing his forehead. "She was killed during the Riot of Niffleheim seven years ago… I still remember her death like yesterday."

Now it was my turn to look surprised, "Wait? You were there?!" I yelped. Aren bowed his head, his eyes hidden behind his long black bangs. "Yes, the Haans were one of the families involved. We were visiting the mines to oversee the workers there when it happened."

I shuddered, _How horrible… _The Riot of Niffleheim was the most calamitous event to have occurred in the last fifty years. Over ten thousand killed, three old and important families from Asgard completely eliminated, a section of Midgard, utterly trashed when the rabble broke through the gates and stormed the middle level of Yggdrasil. They would've broken down the gates to Asgard if the Praetorian Guard hadn't intervened and subdued them.

The sole punishment delivered to every participator in the Riot from Niffleheim was death.

No exceptions.

"What was her name?" Elsword probed, biting his bottom lip. For a moment, I swore Aren shot him a look of pure venomous hate, completely undiluted, but it was gone so quickly it could've only been my imagination.

"Elsa… Elsa Pendragon… She was a member of one of the families that were wiped out."

_DING! DONG! DING! DONG!_

The solemn bells rang, signaling the end of the period. "Oh shit, I better go to the infirmary before Raven bleeds to death thanks to our dick of a Weapon Making teacher." Elsword muttered distractedly, tugging at his bangs. Aren nodded curtly, pushing his steel-rimmed reading glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I suggest you hurry to class to Miss Kaname, if your latest test scores were any indication, I don't think you can afford to be missing any class time." He addressed it towards me, making me hang my head as my cheeks burned with shame. Sure, I didn't like him, but he was the School President and the current head of the Haan family.

"Ok…" I mumbled, turning my sights to Elsword. He winked at me in a borderline-flirtatious way, waving his hand in a cheery "goodbye". With a bright smile, he said to me: "I hope to see you again!" before departing. I seethed, miming stabbing him in his head as I watched his retreating figure ("Miss Kaname!" Aren gasped). I flipped my hair and stalked away to Numerica and Grammatica, sticking my nose in the air with a mien of affronted dignity.

* * *

_III.V Elsword- The Plight of All Those Who Aren't Assholes_

* * *

The air was pleasantly crisp and the sky a clear eggshell blue as I stood outside on the sparring grounds while Denka cheerfully lectured us about basic training techniques. The verdant landscape was dotted with flower bushes and my classmates were chattering to each other, paying little attention to the teacher except for a studious few. I was mainly ignored, save for a few dirty looks and this one weird, white-haired girl who wore round glasses with thick lenses.

"H-hi!" she stammered, blushing hard, her head bowed causing her glasses to droop down her dainty nose and revealing wide lavender eyes. _Purple eyes too… what's with purple eyes here? I didn't think they were that common… Back home I never saw any purple-eyed people. Then again… _My thoughts drifted to Aren. Maybe I was being crazy but I sensed some seriously hostile vibes from him. _He said my red eyes and red hair was unusual but I see that all the time in Midgard. _

"I-I'm… I'm Su-Subtractia Ta-Targaryen! Wh-what's your name… uh…?" She squeaked, looking small and child-like in her oversized uniforms. My eye's snapped open wide and I jerked my chin up, staring straight at the slender silverette. "Oh…uh…" I fumbled, feeling dazed. My head pounded, dull, but still mind-numbing pain crashing through my head. _You there? _

"…"

Silence. Of course… that prick…

"Ha! Look at those two dorks out there together!" A pale boy with messy black hair that stuck out like a bundle of chicken feathers and mauve eyes that showed a disturbing amount of white, sneered unpleasantly at Subtractia and I. The gaggle of slutty-looking girls and buff muscle men, all clad in white sniggered, pointing in our direction as they whispered (obviously) snide remarks to each other.

"Y-You leave us alone Psy!" Subtractia yelped, clenching her hands into a tight fist and biting her bottom lip. Psy smirked, making a heart shape with his hands. "You two losers make such a kyooot couple!" he drawled, making kissing noises with his mouth. Subtractia blushed, taking a nervous step backwards. "Y-you stop that!" she cried indignantly, her bottom lip jutting out in a pout. Psy cackled, walking over to Subtractia before flicking her in the forehead.

"Or what?" he taunted, his upper lip curling upwards in disgust. "You'll use your last name to get me in trouble?" he sang sardonically, roughly shoving her. "Cut it out and go back to Gangham Style," I snapped, biting the inside of my right cheek. Psy snarled, whipping himself around.

"What did you say punk?!" he bellowed, grabbing my shirt collar and lifting me off the ground. I stared at him, narrowing my eyes.

_Tell him to go fuck himself… _An indolent voice yawned in a bored monotone.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT YOU LITTLE BITCH?!" Psy shrieked, shaking me like a rag doll. My jaw dropped, "Wh-what?" I gaped incredulously at him. He spat on me, the spittle landing on my forehead. _Gross… _"Don't play dumb with me you ass!" he snarled, giving my tie a rough yank, briefly cutting off my air circulation.

"What are you two doing?" Denka snapped, her navy blue hair flying out behind her as she stormed over to us. "Back off you lowly peasant!" Psy barked, throwing me to the ground. Denka's night-sky eyes grew wide before snapping into little slits. "Excuse you Mister Lunation? I am your teacher!" she huffed indignantly, folding her arms. Psy leered maliciously at the flustered Denka, baring his teeth into a horrid smile that showed his abnormally sharp teeth.

"Ha! You just whored your way up to this job you lowly base-borne slut!"

Our teacher balked, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, clearly stung by Psy's callous remark. I seethed, steamed over this horrific abuse of people born in Midgard or anyone that tried to be friendly with them. "And you obviously had to bribe your way past Elementary School!" I retorted, my nostrils flaring as I took a deep breath.

Psy glared at me with acidic hatred before drawing his fist back and punching me hard in the face. Pain exploded throughout my head as I crashed into the ground. Stars erupting in the back of my vision. I hissed, staggering to my feet as I held my hand up in the air. Golden light enveloped my hand, forming a flickering pattern before flinging it at the bastard.

He roared as it slammed into him, saffron shards of light flying into the air as the rune split apart on impact. "Oh my!" Subtractia cried, clapping her hands over her mouth.

"What is going on over here? I see two idiots making fools out of themselves and the teacher sniveling like a two-year old who had their stuffed bunny taken from them," a silky male voice mused in a detached tone. Everyone's head snapped in the direction of the voice. Loud squealing from all the girls in the class save for Subtractia and Denka filled the air, sounding like a litter of kittens.

A handsome male with long lavender-tinged hair subdued into a casual, almost messy ponytail and mismatched violet eyes strolled towards the class. His skin was paper-white and a thin jagged fuchsia scar ran down his left eye.

"Bro-brother!" Subtractia stumbled, her awkward self-consciousness contrasting with his haughty swagger so much I wouldn't of even guessed they were siblings, despite the fact they looked similar. Denka hastily dipped into a brief bow. "Mister Targaryen, what are you doing here?" she queried. He sighed, flexing his shoulders absentmindedly.

"I came here to talk to Subtractia about her latest science project's grade-" he gave her the evil eye- "which she _failed_." A few chuckles rang out, only to be instantly silenced by a withering glare from Targaryen. Subtractia whimpered, lowering her head. "I-I'm… so-sorry Add… bro-brother…" she mumbled.

I raised an eyebrow at that.

_Add and Subtract? Are their parents in the Tech industry? I mean, what kind of sick mind names their kids after Numerica and Grammatica terms if they're not in Tech?_

"And behold, I walk in to find this class acting like a bunch of inane fools on All Hallows Eve, may I ask as to what have all you been smoking to act so asinine?" Add snorted, giving all of us contemptuous looks. Psy bristled but did not respond to Add's rebuke. Noticing his death stare, Add directed his wrath towards Psy.

"And don't think I didn't see your deplorable behavior. Yes, Denka is a base-borne slut, and yes, my sister is a dork, and yes, this filthy peasant-" he gestured at me- "needs to die for he is wasting valuable non-aether tainted oxygen, but who do you think you are? That is my sister you're insulting. Get it? _MY _sister, not yours," he snapped in a voice that was all brittle ice. Psy's jaw dropped, and I snickered despite myself at his facial expression. Honestly, served him right.

He growled, shooting an acidic glare at me before slashing his finger across his throat.

"Now Subtractia, if you'd be so kind as to come with me, the Shame Mobile is here for you and I expect you to ride around in it for a couple of blocks before returning," Add continued, his face pure boredom. Subtractia sniffled but reluctantly nodded her head, "K brother…"

Add nodded, grabbing Subtractia by her arm. "W-wait! Mis-" Denka began to protest, holding a hand in the air.

"Problem?" Add snipped coolly, giving the teacher a look that could make it snow on an August day. Denka's mouth opened before closing, "N-no…" she mumbled, visibly wilting. Add nodded with an air of smug satisfaction before marching away, dragging Subtractia behind him.

* * *

**RC: Aaand cut! Sorry for the long wait… but hey! Here's an update and though it was low on action, we got to see some important build-up moments and meet two other characters!** **I also did a POV change which can be mildly annoying but I marked it well enough… Yup, we will be swapping to other people's POV when Aisha herself simply won't suffice! I mean, now that we have 10 main characters (as of now) plus several supporting and like… a jillion minor characters, Aisha can't do the job of keeping track of all of them… Be expecting some familiar faces such as Vanessa, Edan, Proto, Valak, and Speka… alongside some new ones such as Sasha, Noel, Lime, and Penensio!**

**Aisha: This… is quite a change…**

**Addition: How come my sister is a sweetie pie while I'm a major bee blob?**

**RC: I like your gender-bend, you need to die… **

**Addition: You're horrible…**

**Elesis: Wait… Elsa? …RC!**

**RC: Long, spoilerific story if I explain right now, let's just say… nevermind…**

**Aren: Why am I acting different in this version? I was pretty minor and harmless in the old version, and save for being killed by my own sister, I enjoyed my role…**

**RC: 'Cause you can? **

**Aren: D:**

**RC: But anyways, I shall be updating Gate of Sheol next simply because… I got some JUICY events coming up in the fourth chapter such as the Royal Court. Then comes the update for my Elesis x Aren two-shot. **

**Elsword: My POV felt a little spastic…**

**RC: You're generally a spacey guy, and there's something BIG that I changed about your character… though you'll have to wait until the next chapter to EVEN GUESS as to what the change is. **

**Elsword: Oh mai…**

**RC: But anyways! Remember to R&R if you love me and this story and don't want to see me ride in the Shame Car! Ja Nee! *Flies out the window***


	4. IV: Blood Red

Innocent Sin: Actress Again

IV: Blood Red

* * *

_Aisha_

* * *

Snorting, I glowered malevolently at the person who was sitting next to me in Literature class. _Why?! _ I internally screeched as Elsword smiled at me, winking playfully. How did I get stuck with him for _two _classes? Did the teachers really hate me that much?

"So, how was your day?" he asked, tugging on his right, low-hanging side tail. I scowled, rolling my eyes. "Really badly, considering that there is a _certain _redhead who won't stop harassing me," I snipped back. He bristled, looking away from me. "I was just trying to be friendly, is that an unforgivable crime here?"

"Are you two paying any attention?" Stella- our ball busting Literature teacher- snapped. I flushed a bright red, hanging my head in shame. _Damn him to the deepest pit of Niffleheim! _

"It's cool Ms. Stella," Elsword replied in a lazy manner, leaning his seat back. Stella's milk-chocolate brown eyes narrowed as she stared critically at him. "Oh? Perhaps you can tell me what I was talking about earlier?" she queried with a cutting edge. He chuckled, tilting his head to the side. "You were talking about the legend of the _Fox Sister_, one of the fairy tales we'll be discussing during this unit."

I grinded my teeth together, taking an unusual interest in the desk's smooth wooden surface. How funny, how come I never noticed that the swirling wood stains formed a face?

"As for you Miss Kaname, can you please tell the class what we were discussing about?" Stella's words cut through my spaced-out zone like a razor whip, making me flinch.

Forty eyes stared at me as I sat, paralyzed, sweat dropping profusely. "Uh…" I fidgeted around disconcertedly, "fa-fairy t-tales?" I stammered weakly. A couple snickers rose from the class, making me sink slowly in my seat.

"Very… vague Miss Kaname," Stella drawled, staring at me with chilly eyes. I squeaked. "Well, I know who is getting tonight's extra homework assignment," she snickered, holding up a hardcover book with the glossy words "_Twisted Dreams: Fairy Tales of Both Dark and Light_" emblazoned on the cover. "You will be reading stories one through seven and writing an essay on them, interpreting their meanings, and giving at least four examples of symbolism, author's purpose, theme, and indirect characterization."

I groaned, plopping my head on the desk. Stella glared frigidly at me, "Four examples from each category Miss Kaname, for each story, all seven of them. Due three days from today," she added. Internally, I killed myself as all my hopes and dreams for the next few days went crashing out the window and tumbling to Elrios.

Elsword gave me a sympathetic look. I returned it with the most malignant evil eye I could muster in my despairing state. _It's all your fault! _I mentally screamed at him. Dammit, Ara would be pissed if I couldn't make the party tonight.

If there was a bright lining to this lousy day so far, it would be that this was the last class and I could go back to my dorm, munch on junk food, gain three pounds, cry, and reconsider my life as I stared out the window while I was supposed to be working on my ridiculous amount of homework, or searching for my copy of _Twisted Tales_. Yeah, Ara had chucked it off the third floor a couple of days ago when I got into a row with her. Sad to say, I still had yet to find it.

Once Stella's back was turn, Elsword leaned over, whispering to me: "I'm sorry about that. She's scary, right?" he laughed feebly, rubbing the back of his head and tousling his hair. Seeing my acrid look, he sighed, glimpsing furtively at Stella as she made remarks while scribbling things on the holographic board.

"I noticed you haven't been bringing your book to class," he continued, "Did you lose it?" I snorted, lifting my head off the desk. "So?" I shot back. He smiled softly, handing me his copy of _Twisted Tales_.

"You can borrow my book for a couple of days, it has some good sticky notes in there, thanks to Rena's help."

I raised an eyebrow. Rena? Helping more commoners? Of course, she was a low-standing slut with a prestigious name, she wrecked on a daily basis. What else could I expect from her?

I handed it back to him, "I don't need your help," I hissed. His crimson eyes grew wide, before he shook his head, reluctantly taking the book back. "O…k… but it's your loss."

My blood fizzled. That casual arrogance again. Assuming I needed his help. _Damn him, and his stupid book! _

I diverted my attention to Stella, inwardly knowing I just screwed myself over. Hopefully, Eve would take pity and help me out.

* * *

_Elsword_

* * *

Classes had ended and dinner was done and over with. The powder blue sky giving away to a curtain of inky black, in vivid gradients of pinks, oranges, and scarlet. The crowds in the hallways had thinned out, but the noise volume had all but increased, music blasting the halls as the stereos in the dorm rooms cranked out rocking techno beats, snappy pop, and heavy death metal. I could only imagine how ridiculously loud the music was, considering that the walls were supposed to be sound proof.

_How in all El are the teachers not being driven insane? _

I grimaced, adjusting the duffle bag slung over my shoulder. The teachers were driven insane, most likely, but most of the students came from prestigious and wealthy families, and as demonstrated today, spoiled, self-entitled, and not hesitant to abuse their power.

I mean, there were some nice ones- Rena for example, and Subtractia seemed okay, but maybe it was just her awkwardness. She could be a bitch too for all I know. Like Aisha. Honestly, I didn't want to hate her, I actually wanted to be friends, but she was making it so difficult. I sat next to her in two of my classes, I was going to have to make peace with her somehow or else we'd more than likely drive each other insane. I can't stand people who brush me off and are horrible to me for no reason except I wore a black uniform.

I snorted, continuing to trudge down the hall, the oil portraits looking down on me with a detached contempt.

I am willing to bet all my money that if I had been born in Asgard, I instantly would've been one of those popular kids. I am a sociable, go-with-the-flow type of guy. I didn't make a big fuss over things and I tried my best to be nice to others.

_Now where was the bathroom? _

Crinkling my brow in irritation, I scanned the hallway.

_Ah, there… good… _I headed towards the small brass sign with a large letter "M" engraved in flowery script. When I opened it, I was assaulted with the smell of Beachwood and ocean spray, the wavering night lights of the bathroom surreal, making the flickering shadows dance.

"Oh great…" I groaned, face palming myself as I saw who was standing in the bathroom, leering unpleasantly at me.

Psy, that asshole.

"Oh, hey… look it!" he drawled, taking a step towards me. Instinctively, I took a step back, something I would never do in a normal situation, but I _really _didn't like the look in his eyes. "What, are you… doing here?" I hissed, narrowing my eyes. He smirked, leaning against the wall in a casual manner.

"I was just hanging out here, taking care of-"

"Masturbation?" I hastily interjected, suppressing a chuckle.

The murderous look in his eyes told me I was going to pay dearly for that remark.

Even before the blow to my face came.

"YOU LITTLE PUNK!" Psy roared, slamming his fist into my face, ramming me into the bathroom wall. My head cracked against the smooth granite, stunning me for a brief second as I stumbled to the ground, my breath knocked out of me.

I rolled away as he brought his foot down, attempting to kick me. Quickly, my legs shot out, swinging forward in a scything motion. He jumped backwards, throwing a blast of crackling indigo electricity at me.

A cry escaped me as a vivid pain flashed through my body, stars winking at me from behind.

"Arrogant."

A punch.

"Little."

A brutal blow to my ribs.

"Bastard!" he swore zealously, his foot colliding against my jaw.

A copper taste enveloped my mouth as my teeth sliced my tongue, making me nauseous.

_Dammit! _

He continued to pummel me, each blow ferocious, agonizing beyond belief as he brutalized me without mercy. Man, this guy had real anger issues.

"I. WILL. KILL. YOU!" he screeched.

A jolt of fear raced through me. No, I didn't want to die here, where no one would give a damn. Where they would just laugh over my dead body, chuckling as they said "good riddance." I didn't want this… not at all… I couldn't die here! I still needed my answers! I didn't come here, to endure this abuse for nothing!

_Do you need my help now?_

I was floating in a void, all sense of feeling gone from my body. Standing in front of me was a male around my age with red hair like mine, but my red was maraschino cherry red as my sister dubbed it. His hair was a deep dark blood red, the color of blood as it first trickles out of a cut, before oxidizing and becoming bright popping red, and it was even messier than my hair, wildly spiked with side-swept bangs and an asphalt black patch staining a small portion of it.

He wore a black sleeveless shirt with an elaborate design, armored pants, and a crimson belt, adorned by silver and scarlet sword ornaments. His eyes were hidden by shadows, but a dark smirk was visible on his pale face.

My eyes widened. I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came out.

_Yes, it's me. Glad I can finally be of some use… _he drawled, reading my thoughts precisely. I scowled, knowing exactly what he was going to request. Nu-uh, only as a _very _last resort.

_You do know you're going to die soon unless you do something, right? _he sighed, shifting his weight around restlessly. A blast of pain exploded through the base of my skull, excruciating after the sweet numbness I had enjoyed just seconds ago.

_Are you going to? Or are you not? _

I sucked in my cheeks, biting them hard. _Dammit! I… don't have any other choice! But-_

_Thank you… I'm sure you won't regret my help_. He snickered, shrugging his shoulders. I frowned, _Getting help like you is equivalent to getting help from a Noble Family- such as the Haans, it always bites me in the ass. _

He scoffed, tilting his head to the side. _That's a harsh comparison, even I'm not that bad… _I snorted, my view of him blurring as another shock of pain jolted me. _After what you did seven years ago? You- _I swore vehemently, my rambling peppered with a bunch of colorful words that would've had my sister washing my mouth out with soap.

_Do you want my help or not? _he snapped peevishly, crossing his arms. I sighed, defeated. Typical case of "damned if you do and damned if you don't".

_Yes… _

My vision faded to black and white before disappearing completely and I fell deep into a state of semi-awareness. My borderline-catatonic state punctured with horrific moments of sparkling clarity where the world was all blood red.

* * *

_Aisha_

* * *

I massaged my temples as the stereos bellowed a deep techno beat, the bass making the floor reverberate with each passing second. Ara's dorm was a chaotic whirlwind of glowing screens, junk food, manga, and papers as all three of us- Ara, Eve, and I, plus Subtractia did our business.

In Ara's case, it was cussing out the TV as another zombie Glitter ate her character's head off in sickeningly graphic detail. In Eve's case, it was sniffing disapprovingly as Subtractia did everyone's homework, sipping tea and looking all prim and regal as she flipped through the pages of an epic romance novel she was reading. In Subtractia's case, it was working on my Literature essay and Ara's History paper, looking happy that she wasn't spending another night alone in her dorm, shame-faced and brooding at the fact her brother had her take another trip in the Shame Mobile.

My case? I was just reading a magazine, my legs propped up on the sofa's arm, and sipping Kool El-aid from a crystal glass, relieved that I had managed to find someone who would willingly do my homework. Eve had outright refused, saying that I was, "being lazy and detrimental to myself, and that actually doing some work would be good for me."

Go figure.

I just wished I brought some ear plugs though. I'd have a lot more fun and be a good deal more relaxed if I didn't feel as if my head would explode and splatter all over the place at any second.

"FUCK YOU!" Ara cried, chucking her console remote across the room and nailing a portrait of a silver fox, cracking the glass.

"Died again?" Eve commented airily, lounging gracefully on the black velvet divan propped up against the wall, with a porcelain tea cup in one hand and a softcover novel in the other. Ara snorted, flipping her ebon locks. "Stupid game, why must it be so hard?" she whined, propping her chin on her knee caps.

"I think the Dark Souls in the title should've tipped you off about the game's difficulty level." Eve retorted, flipping a page. "Why don't you take a break and work on those Numerica and Grammatica problems you were assigned?" she added, taking a sip of tea. Ara laughed, waving her hand in the air.

"Good one Evee, good one," she chortled, leaning backwards and studying the ceiling. Eve just sighed, shaking her head. "Your loss, not mine."

"Do you have any more ice cream?" I remarked, looking up from my magazine. Ara nodded, jerking her thumb towards the mini-fridge and freezer. "It's there, in your favorite place," she joshed. Her tone was light and joking, but I still flinched at the casual cruelty that undercut the remark. That was one of the few faults Ara had, she could be mean without meaning to.

I rolled my eyes, walking over to the fridge and withdrawing a pint of Deer Trax ice cream, and got a plastic spoon out of the storage box propped on the "study" desk. At least I think it's supposed to be a study desk, she never used it for that.

Just as I plopped my butt back down on the sofa, a banging noise rang throughout the room, barely audible over the booming music.

"..ra!"

Ara snorted, instantly recognizing the voice. "Great, my brother," she muttered cantankerously, "probably coming here to complain that the music is too loud." She trudged to the door, flinging it wide open. Her mouth moved, forming an inaudible word.

Aren stood in the doorway, looking pale as death, his eyes wide. Upon seeing Ara, he relaxed a bit, visibly relieved.

"CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME, WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Ara shouted over the music as Aren made a gesture with his hands, signaling he couldn't hear. "CAN YOU TURN OFF THE MUSIC?! THE OTHERS NEED TO HEAR THIS AS WELL!" he shot back. She grinded her teeth together, but obliged, lazily sauntering over to the stereos and pressing the off button. Mentally, I sent Aren a thank you.

"Happy?" she spat, narrowing her eyes. Aren nodded, still unusually pale. "Now, please explain yourself." Ara demanded in a haughty tone. He shuddered before regaining his composure. With a stoic expression he turned to all of us before saying:

"A student was found dead in the boy's bathroom, his corpse brutally mangled. I'm relaying a personal order for everyone to return to their assigned dorms. No one will be leaving them tonight until we have searched the school thoroughly."

* * *

**RC: Aaand cut! I hope you enjoyed this ok length chapter of IS: AA! Yup, this is where you begin to see some major differences and some questions get answered while others are piled on. It's also the introduction to my specialty- creating rivers of blood. **

**Elsword: Yeah… I'm a lot different already.**

**Ara: Still a bitch .-.**

**Aren: Still innocent.**

**Rena and Raven: Still getting close to zilch lines.**

**RC: Oh well…**

**Eve: Still calm and distant.**

**Aisha: Still a brat.**

**Chung: Still worried over my future**

**RC: Welcome to my world, where everything goes according to my laws. If you have any complaints, please file a report to the Customer Service desk. I assure you it will never get answered. **

**Everyone else: D:**

**RC: But next, is Gate of Sheol after finishing my part in the collab with Shadic! Things have gotten really crazy, but strangely easier at school, so my updates have increased for now. Life is crazy… I did zilch studying for AP world, I saw the essay questions and inwardly sobbed, thinking: "I need Jesus!" and meanwhile, I've made zilch progress on my research about this flesh-eating bacteria.**

**Elsword: Flesh-eating bacteria… great, another idea to RC on how to kill a character.**

**RC: =w= Anyways, remember to R&R, the lovely stuff, send me your love! XDD Ja Nee! *Flies out the window* **


End file.
